Sweets vendor

Dried fish vendor/s

Tira tira

I don't know what they're called in English, but this is enjoyed by kids all year round. Remember that candy which stretches as long as your arm when you try to bite a chunk off?

Poor ducks

Copra street

Copra (dried coconut meat) is one of our products here for coconut oil processing. There is this one street lined with old copra bodegas where if you look inside one of them, the copras reach the roof and trucks drive inside to dump the copras. It's not a nice street to pass by, the air is stuffy and dusty. Working conditions inside are not that safe either.

And yes, new look.. (I mean my blog.)

Bukid

Bukid in Waray means mountain. Thus, the name of this outdoor/mountain-climbing gear shop. They have a wall for, naturally, wall-climbing. The shop has experienced assistants, and you can also book an experienced guide here for your outdoor adventures/tour.

Suman latik

We have many ways of preparing rice as we have many varieties of rice. Suman latik is sticky rice wrapped in this kind of particular leaf (I forgot the name now), then steamed, and the latik is sugar syrup prepared with palm sugar and syrupy coconut milk. Only a few people can prepare this well.. (in my opinion). The secret is in the latik.

Yellow cab

Here's what our taxis here look like. I was at the airport today (seems I'm at airports often these days), and I saw this much talked about taxis here, called.. Spiders. Even our police cars look like these hybrid cars, except they're white.

Stylized baduya

One of our local snacks is the baduya.. mashed banana with flour and shaped into these weird globs, then deep-fried. We dip it in granulated white sugar. You can buy it anywhere as this is a streetfood. But eating at one of our chic restaurants here (Giuseppe's), this is what the baduya will look like. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, and served a la mode. Delicious.. and expensive.

Rafael Farm

Restaurant and farm at Babatngon.

(Photo by Nino)

Church, laundry and coffee

The church again.. taken across the street where I was picking up laundry at Il Migliore (laundrymat) and having coffee at Jose Karlos.

Children's playground

Our Family Park.

Pineapples

As we were double-parked at Imelda St. (named after Imelda Marcos and now officially renamed Veteranos Ave but still called by the locals Imelda St.), we saw this truck unloading "queen" pineapples to a fruitstand. These pineapples come from Ormoc City, where they have pineapple and sugar plantations. They're sweet and cheap.


(Photos by Arlene)

Ducks marching home

Finally, I caught a picture of the ducks walking home!

Duck eggs

These duck eggs are on their way to the balut maker.

Hotel Alejandro

Hotel Alejandro is an old house that was renovated and made into a hotel. It has that 'history' feel to it.. the lobby is decorated with old b/w pictures of the Japanese-American war. Check out the delicious bibingka snacks sold outside every 2 in the afternoon.

Philippine postcards

Philippine postcards for sale at the office supply store.

Street Scene Series: Pedicab 2

I had to run out of Gloria Jean's Coffeeshop to take this photo. Young teens collecting scrap metal and holding up traffic. Not that there was any :-)

Street Scene Series: Pedicab

Another public transport, for very short rides, like 2 blocks.. the Pedicab.

(Photo by Arlene)

Street Scene Series: Jeepney

(Photo by Arlene)

Following this annoying jeepney that would suddenly stop and then move, then snake around trying to pick up passengers.. trying to race me, as if I would pick up its passengers. A perpetual complaint of drivers here.

For those not in the know: a jeepney is a public transport in the Philippines.

Street Scene Series: Bus for Pasay

(Photo by Arlene)

Tacloban is 24 hours away from Manila by bus. This is one of the passenger bus lines that ply the Tacloban-Pasay route.

Street Scene Series: Road signs

(Photo by Arlene)

This is at the busy junction where a city road meets a provincial highway: So the Tanduay sign (an ad for a local cheap rum) is saying: To San Juanico Bridge --> which is not where I'm going.

Street Scene Series: Men Working

(Photo by Arlene)

They're fixing the road.. which is always being done over here. During the rainy and busy season.

Street Scene Series: Fruit Vendor

(Photo by Arlene)

The fruits do not look that fresh, but here they are: Bananas, Orange (Ponkan variety), Avocado! Pomelo, Melon, Watermelon, Papaya. The avocados and melon are out of season.. I have no idea how they got here.

Street Scene Series: Leyte National High School

(Photo by Arlene)

This is one of the public high schools of Tacloban. It has a huge population, but has produced many successful professionals. The banner outside is announcing an Alumni Homecoming Reunion.

Street Scene Series: Policemen resting

(Photo by Arlene)

I guess it's the heat.. and the fact that nothing is going on except us passing by this empty road.

Street Scene Series: Pick-up Truck

(Photo by Arlene)

I asked my cousin to take random shots of the city while I drive. See.. I've ran out of stock photos, and I need to replenish. So this week, I'll be posting those photos she took, and I'll call them my Street Scene Series. Enjoy!

I was following behind this pick-up truck and it always makes me shake my head at how little we (Filipinos and Asians) think of safety precautions. But then, driving around at 20 - 30kph in the city doesn't seem so dangerous to anyone. I've never really seen an accident here. Besides, we're not a lawsuit-oriented culture.

Theme Day, Best Photo

We were at the farm two days ago for the farmers' Christmas party. And while standing outside waiting for lunch.. we saw this dog. My brother said, "Look! that dog looks like a wolf!" And as it passed by me, I was able to take a photo. And today, I'm posting it as my Best Photo of the Year. Hahaha.. (only cos I'm too lazy to look at my archived stock photos). It does look mysterious without the story..

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